And speaking of our very unworthy opponents, it has been very clear that many of them think repetition is an adequate substitute for truth.

Despite the fact that many bloggers (such as my humble self) have taken them to task for distorting the 1997 Canadian study to claim that gays have a short life span and

despite the fact that the researchers in 2001 complained about the distortion of their work,

the anti-gay industry continues to repeat this lie. Witness the words of your friend and mine, Janet Folger:

But here's the best response to schools advocating an agenda that knocks an average of 20 years off your child's lifespan: Inform the school district that if they participate in promoting behavior that is harmful to minors, they are in violation of state law and that you, as a parent or citizen, will pursue all legal consequences available to you.

What's funnier about this? The fact that Folger continues to repeat this lie or the fact that she is giving bad advice?

The webpage Good As You takes Folger to task better than I ever could (that is without inserting cuss words):

where the holy hell does she get off threatening schools with legal action if they recognize this secular, universal call to stop bullying and harassment?! Public schools have a right and even DUTY to protect every one of their students. And if they provide a supportive atmosphere for students to hold their peaceful demonstration without punishment, then they are not only acting in accordance with the law, but also in accordance with DECENCY! The "Day of Silence" is about ending a problem towards which we've turned a blind eye for far too long. It's not a gay/straight, Christian/atheist, Democrat/Republican, liberal/conservative tit for tat. It's a rational call to end irrational complacency!

Janet Folger, we understand why you are resorting to more vehement tactics in days of recent, as it's becoming more and more apparent that the era of religious right dominance that has provided your discriminatory side with cover for the past few decades is quickly going the way of Reaganomics. But dear, your vocal protestations are only increasing the speed at which the anti-gay community is heading toward the Annals of Unfortunate Civil Rights History. "Change" is becoming the narrative for Americans on both sides of the aisle. And in terms of gay rights, that "change" is not an emboldening of your side's ideas that gays can morph into something called an "ex-gay." The change as it applies to you is one that is bringing greater peace and acceptance for not only the queer community, but also the friends, neighbors, and loved ones with whom they share the world.

And last but not least, let's talk about one of the folks attacking Day of Silence.

On various anti-gay industry pages, readers are encouraged to go the Mission America site for more information about the Day of Truth and Day of Silence.

Mission America is a site that supposedly:

. . .research(es) social trends inside and outside Christianity. The picture often reveals an America that is slowly being dismembered, because the Body of Christ is becoming another creature--one made in the image of corruptible man. We need knowledge, then repentance, prayer, fasting, followed by action.

In other words, it repeats anti-gay industry propaganda ad naseum.

Interestingly enough, the site has a list of schools participating in Day of Silence. I guess the connotation is that parents should call and repeat the standard lies about the "gay agenda" in order to keep Day of Silence from taking place.

The founder of Mission America is a woman by the name of Linda Harvey. Harvey touts herself as a former advertising executive who became a Christian and is now on a mission to save America from the "forces of evil."

Want to see some of her work? Check this out:

When people have views supporting homosexuality they should not be involved with youth in any way, period. Because they:

will provide inaccurate, misleading information to kids;

may limit a student’s opportunity to hear warnings about the behavior;

may advocate or model inappropriate behavior;

may be directly involved in the molestation of kids themselves; or

may be in a position to allow others to do so" - Fairy Tales Don’t Come True, February 13, 2006 Personally, I would be fearful with intrusting children to someone like Harvey.

But to the anti-gay industry, she is an "expert."

Don't take much with those folks, do it?

Just say the word "Jesus" a lot and leave your common sense at the door.

I wonder how much does being an "expert" pay?

Just kidding, folks.

I would rather be a stripper than a "homosexuality expert" for the anti-gay industry.

About Me

Alvin McEwen is 46-year-old African-American gay man who resides in Columbia, SC.
McEwen's blog, Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters, and writings have been mentioned by Americablog.com, Goodasyou.org, People for the American Way, PageOneQ.com, The Washington Post, Raw Story, The Advocate, Media Matters for America, Crooksandliars.com, Thinkprogress.org, Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish, Melissa Harris-Perry, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, The Washington Blade, and Foxnews.com.
In addition, he is also a past contributor to Pam's House Blend,Justice For All, LGBTQ Nation, and Alternet.org. He is a present contributor to the Daily Kos and the Huffington Post,
He is the 2007 recipient of the Harriet Daniels Hancock Volunteer of the Year Award and the 2010 recipient of the Order of the Pink Palmetto from the SC Pride Movement as well as the 2009 recipient of the Audre Lorde/James Baldwin Civil Rights Activist Award from SC Black Pride. In addition, he is a three-time nominee of the Ed Madden Media Advocacy Award from SC Pride.